Flatiron



March 25, 19 F. E. FINLAYSON Humor:

Filed Nov. 14, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor m O 3 M .m w F fl ..u i kMm T, w}

March 25, 1947. v v F. EQFINLAYSON 2,418,020

FLATIRON Filed Nov. 14, 1944 2 Sheets-SheetE Fig.4.

Inventor- Frank E. Finlagson,

His Atgorn of the iron shown in Figs. 4 and 5,.

mamas Mar. 25, 1941 mrmou Frank. E. Finlayson, Ontario, Calif., assignorto General Electric Company, a corporation of New York ApplicationNovember 14, 1344, Serial No. 563,337

2 Claims.

This invention relates to flatirons, and it ,has for its object theprovision of an improved flatiron having means for assisting theoperator in moving the iron to a non-ironing position of rest with thesoleplate removed from the pressing surface, and for holding it in thisposition.

More specifically, it contemplates the provision of a fiatiron havingmeans forming a rest for holding the soleplate with its pressing surfacemaking an angle less than 90 with the normal horizontal ironingposition, rather than in the position of rest of the usual iron incommon use wherein the pressing surface makes an angle greater than 90with the horizontal, thereby rna-.

terially lessening the work of tilting the iron upwardly; and it furthercontemplates the provision of means for assisting the operator intilting the iron to this position of rest, and also for holding the irontherein. I

In accordance with this invention the iron is provided with an auxiliaryweight located so as to weigh the iron down when it is in its normalironing position, but when the iron is tilted upwardly toward its restposition beyond a predetermined angle the weight operates to assist inthe lifting of the iron, and also to hold it in its position of restonce it has been moved to this position.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference should behad to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation ofa fiatiron embodying one form of this invention, the iron being shown inits horizontal ironing position; Fig. 2 is a figure similar to Fig. lbut illustrating the iron in its position of rest; Fig. 3 is a rearelevation view of the iron shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is a sideelevation of a flatiron embodying another form of this invention; Fig. 5is a view similar to Fig. 4 but illustrating the iron of Fig. 4 in itsup-ended position of rest; and Fig. 6 is a rear elevation view Referringmore particularly to Figs. 1-3 inclusive, this invention has been shownas applied to a fiatiron having a body I which comprises a soleplate 2having a lower pressing surface '3; it will be understood that thesoleplate, as usual, will be pointed at the front end and will have asubstantially straight edge at the rear or heel end to. Also it ispreferable that the soleplate be thin and relatively light in weight.The body i further comprises the usual enclosing shell or housing l uponwhich is mounted a handle 5, the handle having a hand-grasping section 62 and front and rear upright supporting standards I and 8.

While this invention is applicable to irons in general, it has beenillustrated as applied to an electrically heated iron of the automatictype, a suitable temperature control knob 9 being pro- .vided to adjustthe temperature of the soleplate 2. Also, entering the rear handlestandard 8 is an electrical supply cord Ill.

The iron body I, in accordance with this invention, is provided at therear with means for holding the iron in an .up-ended position of rest asshown in Fig. 2. This means comprises an enlargement ii projecting fromthe rear handle standard a and a protuberance i2 of the housing tadjacent the heel endof the soleplate 2, the enlargement Ill andprotuberance i2 lying in a common plane. It is contemplated that therest means will support the iron in the fash ion shown in Fig. 2 whereinthe pressing surface 3 makes an angle with the horizontal, that is withthe normal ironing position of Fig. 1, materially less than 90. Inthespecific example of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1-3 this angleis in the neighborhood of 50, that is, the common plane containing theenlargement l i and the protuberance l2 makes an angle of about 130 withthe pressing surface 3 of the iron. It will be understood, however, thatthe angle may vary widely but it is preferable that it be not too great.

In addition to the rest means, this invention comprises means fornormally weighing the iron down, but when the handle 6 is grasped andthe forward end of the iron elevated toward the upright position of Fig.2, the weighing means will assist in lifting the iron to this position,and also will hold it in this position. This means comprises anauxiliary fixed weight l3 located in the rear extension of the handlestandard 8, as clearly shown. The weight may be of any suitable materialsuch as lead and preferably it will be inserted up into a hollow chamberformed in the rear handle standard 8. l

The weight it is so proportionedand it is so positioned in the handlethat when the iron is in its normal ironing position shown in Fig. 1 theweight presses the iron downwardly. However, when 'the iron is tiltedupwardly on the rear heel edge So. as a fulcrum beyond a predeterminedangle the weight will then become efiective to assist the operator inlifting the iron to its position of Fig. 2 and when it is in thisposition will hold it there. v

Thus in Fig. l, the center of gravity of the iron without the weightpasses through the line a--b, whereas the center of gravity of theweight passes through the line c.d. Thus, the center of gravity of theweight with relation to thefulcrum about which the iron' pivots is suchthat the weight cannot tilt the iron, but on the contrary weighs theiron downwardly; that is, the vertical moment of the weight about theaxis 3a is less than the vertical moment of the iron body about thisaxis. When the iron is in its 'position of rest of Fig. 2, the ironcenter of gravity passes through the line a-b', whereas that through theweight passes through the line c'd, and the vertical moment of theweight about the axis 3a is greater than the vertical upwardly aboutsaid axis toward said rest posimoment of the iron body about this axis.At

some point in between these two positions, the vertical moment of theweight is willjust balance that of the iron. and as the iron is tiltedupwardly beyond this point its vertical moment becomes greater than thatof the iron, and therefore, it will assist the operator in tipping theiron upwardly and also will hold it in the position of rest.

In the embodiment of Figs.'4-6 inclusive, the iron is provided with asoleplate l4, a shell IS, a handle l6 having a hand-grasping. portion l1and front and rear standards I! and I9. .At the rear, the handle isprovided with an inclined surface forming a rest for holding the iron inthe up-ended rest position as shown in Fig. 5. Here the auxiliary weight2| instead of being concentrated in the rear handle standard as in tionto a predetermined angle, which is less than said angle that ismaterially less than 90, the

center of gravity of said body and weight-shift with'reference to saidaxis so that the vertical moment of said weight is located t0] the rearof said axis and is greater than the vertical moment of said body withrelation to said axis, whereby said weight assists in moving the body tosaid rest position and when said body reaches said position holds ittherein.

2. A flatiron comprising an iron body provided with a soleplate that hasa front end and a rear end and a pressing surface on its bottom, a

, handle, means fixedly securing said handle to the first form of theinvention extends longitudinally through the hand-grasping portion I'lof the handle. However, it functions in exactly the same way in thatwhenv the iron is in its pressing position of Fig. 4 it weighs the irondown and when the iron is fulcrumed about the rear heel edge of thesoleplate beyond a predetermined angle, the weight will assist in thetilting of the iron to its position of rest of Fig. 5 and when it is inthis position itwill hold it there. Here, the surface 29 supports thesoleplate at an angle of about 60 with the horizontal, and therefore, itmakes an angle of about 120 with the soleplate pressing surface.

While I have shown and described particular embodiments of my invention,'it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes andmodifications may be made without departing from my invention in itsbroader aspects and I therefore aim in the appended claims to cover allsuch changes and modifications as fall :vithin the true spirit andscopeof my invenion.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. A fiatiron comprising an iron body provided with a soleplate having afront end and a rear end and also a pressing surface on its bottom,means lying in a common planedefining a rest for said body, saidplanemaking an angle with said pressing surface materially greater than 90,said support means thereby being arranged to function to support thebody in a rest'position with said frontend elevated and said pressingsurface making an angle materially less Number Name Date 1,965,746Matveyefi July 10, 1934 2,362,590 Smith Nov. 14, 1944 1,247,907 TullyNov. 27, 1917 1,728,269 Graetzer Sept..17, 1929 1,533,229 Colby Apr. 14,1925 1.964.923

said soleplate, said body also having at its rear atransverse pivotaledge on which said body is tilted upwardly to a rest position to elevatesaid pressing surface from its normal horizontal ironing position,support means lying in,a common plane making an angle of around to withsaid pressing surface and defining a rest for holding said" body in saidrest position with said pressing surface at an angle of around 50 to 60to said ironing position, aid handle hav. ing a chamber therein and aweight fixed in said chamber, said weight positioned and distributedwith reference to said iron so that when said iron is in said ironingposition the vertical moment of said weight about saidpivotal edge isless than the vertical moment of said body about said pivotal edge, butwhen said iron is tilted about said edge toward said rest positionthrough a predetermined angle less than said angle of 50 to 60 1 thecenter of gravity of said body and weight REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Matveyeif July 3. 1934

